Time for a BBQ picnic

Food tastes better when eaten outdoors. All of us who live in the country know this to be true. Grass under our feet and a cool breeze through the trees are the perfect seasonings for summer food.

What I especially love about this pulled pork sandwich, besides the fact it's portable and delicious, is it's convenient - make ahead and freeze it until the weather is perfect for a picnic. I'm also partial to pork because it's homegrown on my family's small farm, so my freezer is well stocked with the main ingredient. Enjoy!

Classic pulled pork

Prep: 25 minutes
Bake: 375 ° for 3 hours
Stand: 30 minutes

• 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes with jalapenos

• 1 can (16 ounces) tomato sauce

• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar

• 2/3 cup vinegar

• 2/3 cup ketchup

• 1/4 teaspoon hot-pepper sauce

• 1 bone-in pork butt or shoulder roast (about 6 pounds)

• 12 hamburger buns

1. Heat oven to 375 °. In medium-size saucepan, combine tomatoes (undrained), tomato sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, ketchup, and hot-pepper sauce. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

2. Trim pork of excess fat. Place pork in a large foil cooking bag; brush with 1/2 cup of the ketchup mixture. Seal foil bag tightly.

3. Place pork in bag in large shallow baking pan. Bake at 375° for 3 hours. Remove from oven; carefully open foil. Let stand about 30 minutes or until cool enough to handle. Using forks or your hands, pull meat into shreds, discarding excess fat. (Use paper towels to help remove fat from meat.) Place in large oven-safe serving pan. Stir in remaining ketchup mixture. Serve on buns. Makes 12 servings.

Nutrition facts per serving: 397 calories, 12 g total fat (4 g saturated fat), 98 mg cholesterol, 663 mg sodium, 39 g carbohydrates, 1 g dietary fiber, 31 g protein.

Make ahead: Refrigerate shredded meat mixture for up to 1 day or freeze for up to 2 months. To serve, thaw if necessary; heat oven to 325 °. Bake at 325 ° for 20 to 30 minutes, covered, stirring occasionally or until heated through.